Lovely Thoughts
by BabyAngelGirl
Summary: Love was so unique and beautiful to Bubbles. Every night she'd enjoy the romance novels Blossom not so secretly read. Then one day, she went crashing into love head on.
1. Chapter 1

I have a thousand different stories going on and I start another one. I am crazy! By the way, this is a AU (Alternate Universe), so they won't have their superpowers, but they will have some. I don't own PPG just to let you know.

A long time ago in a beautiful land named Wind full of striking animals, plants and people.

Wind Palace, a gorgeous, green building was in the center, the sun reflecting off of it all the time. The Wind family has been living and ruling over Wind for eons. The King of Wind is a loving and caring parent and ruler.

You may ask what happened to the Queen? Well, after giving birth to her triplet of daughters, she caught a fatal virus. Everyone did all they could, but the virus spread too quickly and she…well, you know.

The King mourned the loss greatly, but knew he had to live on, if not for his county, but for the three daughters that she left behind.

The girls grew up into three very different sixteen year old girls. Blossom, the oldest, a redheaded, pink-eyed, bookworm. She loves to read and study. She is very protective over her sisters and won't let any men, except their father and the servants, near them.

Buttercup, the second oldest, is a black haired, green-eyed tomboy. She hates wearing dresses and would whether train with the knights than go to a ball.

Bubbles, the youngest, seems the perfect daughter. She's kind, quiet and loving to everyone, animals and people combined. Her silky golden hair lays on her shoulders and her deep blue eyes are always opened to the beauties of her land.

Today, a warm winter day, found Blossom reading in the library, Buttercup training with the knights and Bubbles in the forest, just enjoying life.

Blossom finished her book and laid it down. Sighing, she tucked a red strand of her long hair back and yawned. "How long have I been in here?" she asked to no one and looked at the clock. "Wow! 4 hours! A new record."

Getting up to stretch, she brushed the dust off her red dress and picked the book up to put it back. Pausing, she looked around. Seeing no one, she grabbed a small, paperback book from the shelf and ran down the hall to her room.

Shutting the door, she let out a huge sigh. "No one saw me. Good." She smiled, looking at the book she grabbed. "If they knew I read trashy romance novels, I would never hear the end of it." she giggled to herself, throwing herself onto the bed to begin to read.

Meanwhile, Buttercup, dressed in black pants and a green tank top, was sweating profusely and getting angry at the knights. "Come on! Fight me like you would a normal person!"

The knights hesitated. "But Princess…"

Buttercup groaned. "I told you to not call me that here. I want to be treated like an equal." She raised her sword up and got into a defensive pose. "Now come on!" She ran towards them.

Ten minutes later, Buttercup wiped the sweat off her face and smirked at the knights on the ground. "If you had fought me like normal, you might have won."

She left the knights at the ground and walked out of the training area. Stopping to feel the breeze on her face, she closed her eyes and ran her hands threw her short black hair. Smiling, she took a whiff. "It feels good out here." she announced, opening her green eyes and making her way to her room to shower for dinner.

In the woods, Bubbles was sitting on the river's side and she stared into the ice. Sighing in contentment, she leaned back and put her hands behind her head. "It's so beautiful out here." she smiled, closing her eyes.

She must have fallen asleep because the next thing she knew, the skies were dark and stormy. Shivering, she stood up. "Great. Daddy's going to kill me, not to mention Blossom!"

She took off running through the forest, but the skies began to cloud up. She began to run faster.

She was almost to the end of the forest when the skies opened and poured snow onto her. Moaning, Bubbles pushed her bangs out of her face. She ran faster, feet being pinched by her shoes and dress muddy.

She made it to the end and stopped to take a breather. "Almost…there…" she gasped out in exhaustion. Straightening up, she began to run again through the village. She reached the castle and could almost jump in relief when she noticed carriages and horses that were not theirs. "Do we have guests?" she asked to no one, standing in the snow, getting colder.

Finally snapping out of it, she sloshed in, melted snow on the floor. She moaned. "Great. Nana's going to kill me too.", thinking about the old woman who almost raised the girls.

She padded to her room but was stopped by a booming voice. "Bubbles, come in here now."

Closing her eyes, she bit her lip and walked into the dining room. "I can explain…" But what she was about to say got caught in her throat.

Sitting at the table was the royal family of Fire with all their servants; King Edward, Queen Sarah, and their three sons, Princes Boomer, Brick and Butch. She felt her face redden when she realized she was standing in the middle of the dining room, the snow melting into little puddles and muddy.

She shot her giggling sisters death glares when King John cleared his throat. "Yes Bubbles?"

Blinking a couple of times, she realized he wanted her to explain. "Well, you see…" she laughed nervously, hand on the back of her head.

"You were in the forest again." the King cleared up.

Bubbles slowly stopped her laughing and brought her hand back down. "Sort of…"

"And you fell asleep?"

Bubbles nodded, bangs hitting her in the eyes. She blew them up, but since they were wet, they landed back into her eyes.

The King sighed. "Go get ready. We have guests."

"Immediately. Sorry Daddy…I mean, Father." She winced at how babyish she sounded. She turned and plodded out, leaving a dripping trail.

As soon as she left, Blossom and Buttercup burst out laughing. John gave them stern looks, but smiled as well. The Fire family sat in shock and confusion.

Thirty minutes later, Bubbles made her way back downstairs, this time dry. She wore a bright blue velvet dress that went all the way down to her ankles. It had a beautiful design in diamonds on the front. Her sleeves were partly see-through and hooked around her middle finger. Her shoes were baby blue slip-ons Her hair was done in two low pigtails. Both were held by a pale turquoise ribbon. She wore a clip on the two of them, a sapphire lily on it. To complete it, she wore a tiara with a sapphire in the front. She wore little makeup, a little lip gloss and some mascara.

Smiling, she bowed as soon as she entered. "Welcome to our kingdom, Your Highnesses." she greeted them as the Queen smiled at her.

"Ah, so this is how you look when you are dry."

Bubbles blushed but smiled back. "Yes." She made her way to her place, next to Buttercup at the end of the table.

As soon as she was seated, her dinner was brought out and she began to eat. Looking up, she realized she was sitting across from a boy her age, if not older.

He had blond hair which fell into his blue eyes. He wore a blue and black outfit with a blue cape, held by a black chain, draped on his shoulders. He wore a badge bearing the crest of Fire, on his shirt

'Which prince was this?' Bubbles thought, staring intently at him. 'Boomer!' she exclaimed in her head and, unconsciously, let out a little squeal.

It wasn't that loud but the boy in front of her heard and looked up, smiling. Bubbles blushed like mad and bowed her head. "Sorry…" she murmured, attempting to disappear into her food.

"It's fine." she heard him and almost lost it right there. He had the deepest voice, which totally offset his boyish looks.

Bubbles nodded and they sat in silence.

As soon as dessert was finished, King John cleared his throat and stood up. Everyone looked at him as he began to make a speech.

"The Kingdom of Darkness will invade our two counties. It has already overtaken the Kingdom of Earth and Water." He paused, letting that all sink in.

Bubbles watched as her father struggled to keep it together. She wanted to help, but didn't know how.

He gathered his wits and continued. "As you all know, the Kingdom of Darkness is one of the strongest, but if we work together, we can defeat them."

King Edward cleared his throat and stood up as well. He was almost John's height, if not a few inches shorter. "We are sorry, but we cannot."

Everyone gasped at that as King John struggled to control his emotions. "Edward, why not?"

"The Kingdom of Fire will not join with the Kingdom of Wind. We do not want a repeat of the War of the Elements."

Bubbles watched as her father winced and frowned, tilting her head.

"Father, what is the War of the Elements?" Blossom asked as the six princes and princesses watched the adults.

John shook his head. "It was nothing, Blossom. Do not worry." He turned to Edward, eyes hard. "If you do not wish to help, then leave."

Edward's eyes were evenly hard as his wife stood by him, clasping his hand. "If that is what you wish." He turned to his sons and nodded. "Come boys."

The girls watched as the three boys stood up and bowed. "Goodnight, Princesses."

The girls stood up and curtsied, Buttercup having troubles. "Goodnight, Princes."

The six locked eyes and the three boys walked away, after bowing to King John. Bubbles watched as they walked out and frowned at the storm. "Daddy, we can't let them go now! The weather is too dangerous."

King John turned to his youngest daughter, her eyes watering, and felt his heart melt. "You are right, as usual, Bubbles." He summoned a servant to bring the Royal Family of Fire back in.

When the returned, they were dripping. The girls could hardly keep in their giggles at the refined princes, dripping with water. Glaring, the princes stood behind their father, saying nothing.

"Why have you called us back, John? We do not wish to join you."

"I understand that, Edward, but the weather is horrible now and you will surely meet up with trouble if you travel tonight. My palace is open to you and your family."

Edward paused, then turned to his wife. After whispering for a few moments, Edward turned back and nodded. "We accept your offer, but only for tonight. First thing in the morning, we will leave and prepare for the War."

Nodding, John sent for some servants to guide the family of Fire to their rooms for the night. Bubbles giggled with Blossom about something as Buttercup watched, bored.

John turned to his daughters and Bubble and Blossom ceased giggling. "You three, bed. Now."

Sighing, the girls nodded and each hugged their father and kissed him on the cheek. Making their way to their rooms, Bubbles began to giggle again.

"Why are you giggling now, Bubbles?" Buttercup asked, bored.

"Because of that." she pointed, trying to keep quiet. The two girls looked to see the three princes talking about something.

Getting to her knees, Bubbles began to crawl, Blossom following, frowning at the childish behavior and Buttercup following her, shaking her head at her sister's behavior.

Stopping at the edge of a plant, the girls brought their heads up and listened in.

"…Father was talking about?" the redheaded Brick finished.

"Probably nothing. You know how Dad gets." the black haired Butch sighed in boredom.

"He seemed so serious about it though. It must have been big." Boomer walked over to the girls hiding place and leaned against the wall. Bubbles couldn't help but stare at his firm butt.

She instantly blushed when she felt her sisters nudge her and eyebrows raised. Sticking her tongue out, Bubbles attempted to turn to crawl away before anything could happen. But Buttercup's shoe got caught on the carpet and she couldn't move, so when Blossom turned and crawl, she crashed into her sister, her leg flying up and taking Bubbles and her dress with it.

The plant knocked over and the three boys instantly drew their swords. They stopped, eyes raised, and laughter barely contained, at the three princesses attempting to fix themselves.

Bubbles, being the first one, jumped up and giggled nervously. "So _that's _where my contact went! I told you guys."

Blossom followed, blushing. "You were right, Bubbles."

Buttercup stood up as well, sighing and smoothing her dress down. "Can we go now?"

The two sisters directed their glares at the dark-haired one and sighed as she shrugged her shoulders. "Yes, lets get to bed." Blossom said, turning back to the princes, who were now shaking so bad with contained laughter that she sighed. "Go ahead and laugh." she said and frowned when they began to crack up like mad.

Buttercup clenched her fist. "It wasn't that funny…" she gritted out.

Recognizing someone would end up with a bloody nose, Bubbles jumped in. "Well, laughter is the best medicine, right?" She turned to Buttercup and brought her hand over her sister's hand. "BC, calm down. It's just laughter." she whispered, using her sister's nickname.

Finally content that Buttercup wasn't going to kill anyone, Bubbles turned to the red-faced princes and smiled. "Goodnight, Princes."

She turned and began to walk back to her room when she felt the ground move. Exclaiming, she fell backwards, arms flaying. Expecting to hit hard ground, she was surprised when she felt two arms catch her.

Looking up, she blushed at Boomer's eyes bearing down on her. Clearing her throat, she jumped up out of his arms and looked to her sisters in the same predicament, but Buttercup looked like she was ready punch Butch out and Blossom had her eyes closed and seemed to chanting something as Brick stared down in amusement.

"Um, girls? The shakings over." Bubbles smiled as her two sisters snapped out of it and right themselves.

"Touch me and die…" Buttercup murmured as she smoothed her dress down. If Bubbles didn't know her sister so well, she would have thought Buttercup was blushing.

'No way, BC _never_ blushes. Especially over a boy.' she giggled quietly to herself as she felt the earth move again.

This time, she was ready and grabbed the nearest steady structure, which happened to be Boomer's arm. She clutched it as she concentrated on staying up.

The ground began to shake harder and Bubbles couldn't keep herself up much longer. Gritting her teeth, she concentrated harder. She blushed when she felt an arm encircle her waist and looked up to see Boomer, smiling down at her.

"Don't fall…" he whispered. Bubbles nodded and blushed as the arm around her waist tightened. She gave in and leaned on him, happy to not try so hard.

The ground slowly stopped and, after making sure it wouldn't start again, Boomer let go of Bubbles' waist, much to her disappointment, and bowed to her. "Goodnight Princess."

Bubbles nodded as she clumsily curtsied. "Goodnight Prince." She ignored her sister's looks and walked, somewhat gracefully.

Later that night, Bubbles woke up. Rubbing her eyes, she walked over to her window, which overlooked the north side of the village. Her eyes Hers eyes roved over the dew covered grass to the meandering brick path that ran throughout the expanse of the village. A small sigh would escape her lips as she saw a different couple walk that brick path. Even in the dead of winter, when the pond had turned into ice and snow blanketed everything as far as the eye could see in mantle of purest white, a couple or two would come. Though their breath crystallized in front of them and all the world was frozen, Bubbles knew they were warm and the jackets weren't the cause.

'What is with me? Do I really want a boyfriend that much?…' For some reason, Boomer's face popped into her mind. Blushing, she shook her head, her hair flying everywhere. "I do not like him like that!" she exclaimed, but sighed as she took one last look and crawled back under her wool quilt and curled up in an attempt to keep warm. She had her head buried in her pillow and her eyes were scrunched up tight. Her mind wandered to and fro on the boundary of unconsciousness until she succumbed to the pull.

The next morning, Bubbles woke up slowly, rubbing her eyes. "What time is it?" she murmured, staring at the clock. She groaned, seeing it was 6 in the morning. "Why did I wake up so early?" she moaned, but she couldn't go back to sleep.

Sighing, she pulled herself from under her quilt and stretched to the sky. "Well, breakfast won't be served for another two hours and her sisters wouldn't be up for another hour.

'Well, maybe Blossom won't be. Buttercup's going to come rushing in five minutes after breakfast started, like usual.' Bubbles smiled to herself as she walked over to her window. 'Maybe since the Fire Family is here, she'll wake up on time."

Leaning on the windshield, she watched as the morning unveiled itself. The pond was frozen solid and the entire world was covered in white. It was so peaceful. Gasping, Bubbles clapped her hands in happiness.

"I know what I can do for two hours!" She ran to her closet and grabbed her light blue coat and the warmest dress she had. She threw them on the bed and went about finding her light blue scarf.

Tearing off her nightgown, Bubbles pulled her clothes on and grabbed her ice skates, throwing them over her shoulder.

With the utmost of caution, Bubbles crept down the hallway. Slowing the fast speed in which she'd erupted from her room to a mere tiptoe. Bubbles had learned from experience that Buttercup did not like being woken up. Bubbles tried to keep quiet but she often lost control of her naturally loud disposition. It didn't help that Buttercup was a light sleeper either. Whether she had found her hidden talent for stealth or the strange pulling force had somehow quieted her footsteps, she made it to the back door without incident.

A few more steps and Bubbles was outside, smelling the fresh air, and smiling at her messed up hair. 'I don't care!' she giggled.

The winter wind began through her blond hair, the crunch of snow under her boots, and the smell of pine wafting through the air. Her coat kept her warm but it could not prevent her cheeks, ears and nose from taking on a red hue. She loved winter; everything about it seemed...Cheery.

She entered the village and circled the center square. Bubbles flashed a genuine smile as tiny children frolicked and played. They seemed so happy and carefree. One of the many joys of innocence.

Whether purposeful or not, Bubbles found her way to the brick path. From her window she had often longed to walk the path. To be enveloped the arms of a man and walk as though on air. The longing was not fulfilled. Bubbles expected it never would be. But as she walked her mind couldn't help but invent an imaginary man walking beside her. His hands wrapped around her own. Bubbles indulged the fantasy by cupping her hand slightly. The longer she walked, the more realistic the man seemed to be. By the time she reached the frozen pond Bubbles could even feel the warmth of his hand.

She looked up hopefully, but she wasn't surprised to find no one there. Her attention turned to the pond. Skaters crowded the surface, gliding across the ice with grace. She let her skates slide from her shoulder and into her hand. She was scanning the north end of the pond for an empty bench when a familiar voice entered her thoughts.

"Princess Bubbles?"

Bubbles turned in shock at the sound of her name. Seeing who it was, she blushed, but smiled. "Prince Boomer!"

Smiling, Boomer walked up to her, wearing a tan jacket, a black sweater, and denim jeans. Bubbles couldn't help but stare at his blond hair, which attracted nearly every girl's attention, but what Bubbles thought was his most astounding feature was his eyes. They were deep and thoughtful with a deep sapphire color. He gazed at her with them now, a faint smile on his lips.

"So, what brings you to here?" Bubbles asked cheerfully, keeping her blush under control for one.

"Same reason as you." Boomer answered nodding toward her skates and lifting his own into view.

"Oh! I was afraid I would skate alone!" Bubbles exclaimed relieved, then slapped her hand over her mouth. "I mean, if you don't mind." She moaned into her hand, kicking herself for being so stupid. 'He probably wants to skate alone and now I'm totally ruining it. Great going, ditz.'

To her surprise, Boomer laughed, "Agreed. Skating is far more enjoyable when done with friends." And with that Boomer pointed his finger to an empty bench.

Blushing, Bubbles followed and they sat in silence as they tied their skates.

"Blue seems to be your favorite color."

The statement had caught Bubbles somewhat off guard. She looked at him with a questioning look, asking with her eyes how he knew that. Smiling, Boomer nodded his head toward her skates. Bubbles looked at them; they were a light blue, then her gaze drifted from her skates to her dress. They were also a light blue, as well as her coat. In fact, everything she had on was blue!

"Wow! I didn't even notice it." Biting her lip, Bubbles inquired, "What's your favorite color?"

"Hmm..." Boomer looked down thoughtfully then back up; "I don't really have a favorite. I suppose it's re-"

Boomer stopped mid-sentence and in a flash he was standing. Whirling around, looking for something.

"What is it Boomer?" Bubbles asked concerned, forgetting formalities.

"I sense..." Boomer's eyes widened. "Bubbles! Get down!"

Not waiting for her to oblige, Boomer collapsed to the ground and pulled her down with him. He draped an arm over her, shielding Bubbles from whatever would happen next.

And then, the ground erupted.

Holy crap! What could have happened? And what will happen? Please RR


	2. Chapter 2

I'm in a fluffy sort of mood, so fluffiness will ensure! I don't own PPG

The ground shook violently. The entire world quaked and shuddered with the shear force of this unknown power. Bubbles soon found it impossible to think. Every time she captured a thought in her skull it was jarred loose, lost forever.

Panic seized her. Her eyelids latched together and refused to open. The same must have been happening for the ice skaters. Exclamations of fear and surprise escaped every lip and a collective thought of 'earthquake' seemed to be on every mind. Wasting no time they hit the road, running to the shelter of their own homes.

A tremor, more violent and louder than the others, seemed to cut through the park. A loud crunching sound soon followed. Bubbles whimpered and opened her eyes slowly. Her fears had been realized. The crunching had been the sound of ice splitting apart. A long gash ripped through the center of the frozen pond. Blinding white light erupted from the crack, slicing through the entire pond.

She slid closer to Boomer, letting his warmth and protection envelop her. He seemed to understand this and wrapped his arm tighter around her. And in scarcely more than a whisper, barely heard through all the din, Boomer said, "It's going to be all right. I promise I won't let anything happen to you."

Bubbles' gaze drifted from the erupting light to Boomer's sapphire eyes. His words seemed somewhat paled next to the horrible presence in her mind, but she felt somewhat relieved that he was here with her. Bubbles managed a weak smile before her attention was averted by yet another bone crunching sound.

The rupture had gotten bigger and the light seemed even brighter. A tight knot grew in the pit of Bubbles' stomach. And in one last surge of pure power the ice gave way to the intensity of the light and shattered. Ice shards flew through the air. Whistling as they zipped past. Bubbles through her arms up over her head, shielding her most vulnerable spot from the sharp objects. Boomer chivalrously shifted his weight so most of his body covered Bubbles , protecting her from the ice shards and leaving his own back unshielded.

The rain of ice passed but not the threat. An earsplitting roar resonated throughout the park. Though every fiber in her being screamed for her not to do so, Bubbles' head lifted seeking the source. What ungodly creature could make such a ghastly sound?

Her answer stood before her. No, not 'stood', towered! It's head a full 40 feet above her own. It was covered from head to toe in shaggy white fur. Long lumbering arms dangled at its side, the ends were adorned with horrible, yellowing claws. The part that attracted Bubble's attention was the teeth. Long and sharp, they were yellow and black from decay. And either it was Bubble's imagination or some trick of the light, but she could have sworn that she saw the faintest traces of red upon those teeth. The only remnant of his last victim...

She whimpered a little, but kept most of it in. She felt a wave of panic tore through her as she felt Boomer's warmth fade. Bubbles turned her head to see what had happened. Boomer slowly rose to his feet, the same indifferent expression upon his face.

'How can he be so calm?' Bubbles gritted her teeth and tried to put on a brave face, but she felt she was failing miserably. She latched onto Boomer's arm and pulled herself to her feet. She had a full intention to let go but she found she didn't want to. Reluctantly she dropped his arm and faced the horrible snow beast.

The monster's mouth opened, gobs of saliva dripped down its chin. Unconsciously, Bubbles stepped backward, her eyes never leaving the monster's rather hungry expression.

Boomer's frown creased and he turned to her, "Bubbles, get my brothers, I can't handle this thing on my own."

Bubbles, for a moment, looked stunned. Going to get his brothers would leave him to battle this thing alone. She was about to object but the look in his eyes silenced her. And with a dutiful nod, Bubbles turned and ran off towards the castle doors. Tripping a couple of times, Bubbles continued to run, hair flying everywhere. Boomer watched her run, until she became nothing more than a dot.

Narrowing his eyes he turned back to the beast. His blood red eyes piercing into him. The monster, though huge, probably didn't have much speed. Taking out his sword and swiping it in the air in an attempt to intimidate his opponent, Boomer formulated a plan while looking for the monster's weak point.

Bubbles was running as fast as her feet would take her. Every second she wasted was one more second Boomer was stuck fighting that thing. _Hurry! _She pleaded, time an ever present thing in her mind.

At last she reached her goal of the boys' floor. She reached the door and began to pry it open. It was difficult, but Bubbles slipped her finger's through the crack between the door and the wall. And with a great feat of strength, she tore the door open. Smiling triumphantly, Bubbles ran through the door and took a breather next to Brick and Butch's beds, ignoring the empty one.

To her relief Brick and Butch had slept in full clothes, instead of boxers. Hesitating for a moment, Bubbles grasped the boys arms and dragged both of them out of bed.

"Uh?" Butch's eyes flickered open, "What's going o-WHAT THE?" Butch, having finally been awakened from his half asleep state, realized that he was no longer tucked in between the mattress and the blankets but next to them. He looked wildly about him, his gaze at last landing on Bubbles.

"BUBBLES! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?"

Bubbles ignored him completely. Tightening her grip she dragged them out of the open door all the time mumbling, "No time. Boomer's in trouble. Explain later."

This got Brick's attention, who's expression changed from annoyed to worried, "What do you mean Boomer's in trouble?"

"No time!" Bubbles moaned, then realized that since they were awake, they could walk. Letting go of them, she took off running, followed closely by the boys.

Butch frowned, the cold biting him like a viper, as they ran outside. However, the cold was quickly forgotten as Bubbles rounded a corner and came into view of the pond. Standing in the snow, was perhaps the biggest, most ferocious thing he's ever seen. Butch clenched his teeth defiantly and prepared his best bad boy act.

Bubbles stopped and began trying to catch her breath, face red from the cold and from running. She noticed her nose was running and tears appeared in her eyes. Wiping them both away, she watched as Boomer was attempting to stab the monster's eyes out but his efforts seemed to be in vain. The creature was simply too massive for Boomer to reach. The beast laughed and sent its huge fist pummeling down on Boomer. At the last moment Boomer leaped aside and the beast missed.

Butch frowned. He was cold. He was extremely mad at being woken up so early and, most importantly, he wanted to go back to sleep. Taking out his sword, he yelled a war cry, took of running towards the monster and jumped up, sword in hand.

Butch smiled with satisfaction as the monster looked seemingly helpless at the sword. But then, to Butch's utter amazement, with a swing of the demon's colossal arms, it deflected his sword and sent it speeding to God knows where.

Butch landed and gritted his teeth. "Oh great..."

Brick came up behind him and smacked him in the head. "Stupid! Don't run off like that!"

Butch turned and snarled at his older brother. "I'll do whatever I want!"

Boomer dodged another blow and back flipped to the two boys' side, "Arguing won't do any good. We have to concentrate. Those arms are simply too great."

"Well, what do you suggest we do?" Butch questioned slightly annoyed.

Boomer's eyes withdrew and he returned to his pensive state. His gaze flashing from Butch to the monster to Butch again.

"Got it!" He leaned in to whisper something his brothers.

This whole time, Bubbles was watching from the edge and biting her nails. 'I'm so totally helpless right now! I probably should go back in the castle…' she thought, but something stopped her. She watched as the boys smirked at each other, did a confusing handshake thingy and got into position.

She watched as Brick shouted a war cry and ran at the monster. The monster laughed and swatted the boy away, but he dodged it quickly. The monster swiped again, but to the same effect. Growing angrier, he became sloppier.

'What is he doing?' she thought, but her eyes widened when she realized Boomer was on the shoulder of the beast. 'What is he doing?' she screamed in her head, watching with a mix of fear and concern.

He positioned himself behind the neck of the beast. His teeth were clenched and sweat trickled down his brow. 'Please work.' he prayed as he lifted his sword and brought it down on the monster.

Little rivulets of blood flowed from the neck. The monster howled a deep throated roar that vibrated through the air, waking the whole village. It clapped its hands around his neck, trying to stop the bleeding.

Boomer grinned. As the monster clapped his hands onto his neck, Boomer stabbed again. The sword bound the demon's hands to his neck. "Now, Butch!"

Butch blinked, watching the entire thing in amazement. And with a nod he once again and ran up with his sword. This time the monster was helpless to defend itself.

"Yeah!" Bubbles couldn't help but cheer from the sidelines.

The sword hit the demon's stomach and sent it falling backward. Boomer, sensing it was his time to go, took out his sword and prepared to leap from the shoulder. That was his mistake.

The monster's arm wrenched free of the sword's grasp. Drops of blood streamed from the wounds left by the sword. He stumbled forward, arm swinging back and forth with a great amount of force. And unfortunately, Bubbles was standing in the arms path. She didn't notice until it was too late. The paw hit and Bubble flew off the ground.

"Bubbles!" Boomer screamed as she fell limp on the ice cold snow.

Crap! What could have happened? Will Bubbles be okay? Who sent that monster? Please RR? I mean…Please RR


	3. Chapter 3

I don't own PPG, tho I wish I did…don't we all?

Butch watched in horror the blond haired princess flew backwards, about to hit the tress, hard. Everything seemed to happen so fast. The monster gave one last roar, a roar that seemed to echo through the very heavens but fell deaf on Butch's ears, and fell backward into a snow-covered hill. The crash sent snow spraying many feet in the air. He saw a blue speck on the monster's shoulder, which was assumed to be Boomer, leap just as the monster roared. Boomer attempted to catch Bubbles. Blue speck rocketed toward other blue speck but all was covered in the white spray of snow. Whether Boomer's attempt had failed or succeeded was left a mystery.

All Brick could do was stand there in a dumfounded trance. Awaiting for the wall of snow that impaired his vision to pass. Every second that slipped by seemed to be a hour. Waiting the verdict on his brother's and the princess' fate seemed to take an eternity.

And then at last the snowy curtain faded and all was clear. Brick gritted his teeth and ran toward the site where he assumed his friends had landed. All was white. The color blue were no where to be found. Brick turned full-circle. Scanning the area hoping they were still alive. In a last attempt he called out.

"Bubbles! Boomer!" he shouted, forgetting formality

Silence.

Panic seized Brick. _Could they be...?_ _No!_ Brick quickly erased the thought from his mind. They were alive. He knew they were. He tried again and waited.

"Brick. Butch"

A smile broke on both the boy's faces and he turned round to face the voice. And then the smile faded almost as quickly as it had come.

There stood Boomer. His eyes were tired and sullen and his air was disarrayed. In his arms he cradled Bubbles' body. She was badly bruised. Brick looked from Boomer to Bubbles. Boomer seemed very weak. Still tired from attacking that monster. It looked as though he was too weak to support Bubbles' weight.

"I'll take her." Butch offered, intending to relieve Boomer of his burden, honestly concerned about both of them.

"No, she's fine. We need to get her back immediately."

Butch nodded and the three turned and began to make their way back to the castle. Once they reached the entrance, Butch looked to see if Boomer was changing his mind at all about holding Bubbles. But he was meet with a look of determination and said nothing.

"Bubbles! Oh my God!" a feminine voice screamed out.

The three boys turned to see a worried Blossom followed by an angry Buttercup. Behind them, they saw King John and their mother and father, plus several servants running out.

Blossom ran up, tears streaming down her eyes. "What happened?" she asked, staring at her unconscious younger sister.

The boys exchanged looks. "She was hit by a monster." Brick finally told her, feeling bad for the look on her face.

"What was she doing near a monster?" Blossom asked, taking her sister from Boomer. She laid her down and smoothed her hair, cooing words to her as tears fell down her face onto the blonde's.

"What the hell happened!" Buttercup screeched, eyes flaring up at the boys, who honestly looked a little scared.

But before Buttercup could say anything, King John, King Edward, Queen Sarah and the servants arrived. King John bent down to his oldest daughter and picked up his youngest and cradled her. "We need to get her inside."

They all nodded and they followed. Once inside, John set Bubbles' sleeping form onto a bed. Bubbles shuddered then was silent. John had a faint trace of a frown on his face.

"Vicky, please get me a blanket."

The servant Vicky nodded and left.

The whole party watched her leave before Boomer collapsed into the nearest chair. His arms felt like Jell-O. After fighting against the snow beast's strength and carrying Bubbles he wanted nothing more then to let his arms rest. His brothers watched him and sighed. Blossom was still crying, but attempting to keep quiet. Buttercup was clenching and unclenching her fists, attempting to keep calm.

Vicky came back holding a blanket in her arms. She handed it to John, who spread the blanket over his daughter.

"What happened?" John asked worriedly

"Some demon thing in the park attacked us." Butch said bluntly.

John frowned, "Really?"

Boomer sighed and sat up as straight as he could manage. Blossom noticed and smiled down at him, realizing he needed some tea. Turning to a young servant, Blossom asked politely, "Wilma, would you be so kind as to make some tea?"

The young girl blinked and nodded. She walked the distance to the kitchen and took out the teakettle.

Boomer shot Blossom a grateful look and instantly sighed, brain a buzz with thoughts. That monster…Where had it come from? It had enough energy to break the earth's crush, but how then, was it so easy to defeat? Could it be from the Dark Kingdom? Could they have a greater and more powerful thing hidden? But why would the Dark Kingdom send such a weak monster? What was the purpose?

The screeching whistle of the teakettle interrupted Boomer's thoughts. A series of clangs sounded from the kitchen and Wilma appeared with a tray, upon it was a steaming teakettle of tea, along with a couple cups.

Boomer graciously accepted the cup offered and then let his vision drift to Bubbles. He'd assessed the damage done to her before and it wasn't too bad. Only a few bruises but nothing to worry about. All they could do was wait for her to wake up.

Blossom sat down next to Brick and let out a sigh. She smiled when Brick brought his arm around her shoulder and she leaned into him, feeling warm and a little better. Brick smiled down at her and leaned his head onto hers.

A little more calm, Buttercup sat down next to Butch, but she was still a little angry. But she felt more worry than anger for her younger sister. She clutched at her nightgown and tried to keep from crying. She felt Butch's hand cover hers, but she said nothing. Butch smirked at her, throwing a little party in his head for breaking through the hard shell of Princess Buttercup a little more.

King John sat next to his daughter, smoothing her hair away from her face, tea ignored on the table. 'Bubbles, please wake up…' he begged her.

King Edward and Queen Sarah embraced and stood, worrying about not only the young princess, but their youngest son. If something happened, they knew he would take blame for it, even though it isn't his fault.

After awhile, a servant came in and bowed. "King John, King Edward and Queen Sarah, you are needed in the control room."

Nodding, John let go of his daughter's hand and kissed her on the forehead. "Take care of her." he said to no one in particular, but all the teens nodded. John walked out, followed by King Edward and Queen Sarah

They sat in silence for a couple more hours, but Blossom was bursting with questions. Finally, she couldn't stop herself.

"What exactly happened?" she asked, voice wavering a little bit more than she would have wanted.

Sighing, the boys began to explain, though they were constantly interrupted with surprised gasps and even more questions. Brick was given the difficult task of explaining to her how Bubbles was hurt and consoling her at the same time. Blossom sprang to her feet and murmured something about them needing more tea. She walked over to the tea kettle and shook it. "Oh, it's all out." She took it and walked out, closing the door behind her. She didn't want more tea; she just didn't want them to see her cry. Brick signaled to the others to avert their eyes and they all stared thoughtfully at their reflections in the teacup. When at last Blossom had cried her eyes out she returned with the teapot and sat down next to Brick again. No one commented on her red, puffy eyes.

"There is still one thing I don't quite understand," Blossom said after seating getting comfy, "You said the monster was really powerful but it sounds like the fight didn't last long."

Butch nodded and looked at Boomer, "Yeah! I only used attacked once and he went down like a ton of bricks!"

"It's because that was a weakling." Brick cleared up.

Butch turned on Brick, "What do you mean it was a weakling?"

"Someone was obviously testing us. The monster itself was considerably weak, Boomer could have handled it on his own."

Butch blinked and looked back at Boomer who had suddenly found the pattern on his tea cup to be quite interesting indeed. Butch then turned back to Brick and opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by Buttercup.

"But that doesn't explain why Bubbles had to get hurt!" Buttercup cried out, shoulders shaking. .

They all turned to her and Blossom was little shocked by her sister's shaking shoulders. 'She couldn't be…Could she?" Getting up, she walked over to her sister and enveloped her in her arms. Buttercup sobbed loudly as Blossom rubbed her back, muttering words to her.

Trying to get attention away from the sobbing Buttercup, Butch spoke up. "But who could have sent it?"

"It could have been the Dark Kingdom, but I'm not too sure."

Blossom looked up from soothing the slowly quieting Buttercup and turned to Brick with worry etched on her face, "But then who could be doing it?"

Silence met Blossom's query.

Boomer chose this time to speak, "Whoever is doing it is extremely powerful. It would be wise to be on our guard."

"Wow! This sucks, don't it?"

Everyone's attention turned to Bubbles. She was sitting on the couch with a very huge grin on her face.

"Bubbles!" They all chorused and all of them rushed to her side. Blossom was the first to greet her sister with a hug.

"Bubbles, you're all right! You are, aren't you? How do you feel?"

"I'm fine, Blossom! Never better!" Bubbles assured her.

"Are you sure? They told me what happened. What about this bruise-"

"I'm fine!" Bubbles persisted.

"But-"

Brick slightly pulled Blossom away from Bubbles, "She's _fine._"

"But-"

This was hopeless.

Boomer examined the bruise on Bubbles' cheek and smiled warmly, "You're feeling well?"

"Yep! As good as new!" To prove her point she stood up and danced around the room.

Boomer laughed, "Good." He looked over at Brick who was desperately trying to ebb some of Blossom's concern. "Look, she's _fine._"

"But-"

"Boomer just said she was _fine._"

"But-"

"Blossom, why don't you go get dressed." Boomer suggested.

Blossom looked down at her nightgown, blushed deep red and grabbed Buttercup's hand. "We'll be out in a minute!" She bolted upstairs, dragging a red faced Buttercup behind her

Brick turned to Bubbles, "Is she always that fast?"

Bubbles smiled, "When she wants to be."

Brick nodded, listening to the doors slamming shut upstairs. "Oh…"

A few moments later, Blossom came down the stairs, dressed completely in a simple red dress and her hair in the usual bow. "I'm good…" she smiled, hugging her sister.

"Bloss, you're killing me!" Bubbles gasped at the tightness of the hug.

It took all three boys to get her off the poor blond. Watching her breathing hard, Blossom laughed nervously. "My bad…"

"Nice one, Bloss. Nice." a dressed Buttercup came down the stairs in a simple green dress. She stopped at her sister, and without saying words, enveloped her in a hug. Blossom watched, smiling at her two sisters hugging.

Once they broke apart, there was an awkward silence until Bubbles finally spoke up. "Well, breakfast should be ready. Shall we?"

The others nodded as they followed, each in their own little worlds

Everything was frozen. The walls were covered in ice. Snow covered everything, as far as the eye could see was nothing but a pallid field of blankness. There seemed to be no end. Dark and cold was the room. Black gloom clashed with the snowy white, a dismal and sinister shadow hung over the place. No light at all was found in this place. All seemed dead, dead and very, very, cold.

A dim, faded, gleam flickered across the colorless room. It kept flickering, it was mirror. A single mirror, icicles hung off the mirrors silver frame. The strange thing about the mirror was that it's glass did not reflect the snowy world before it, but images of things beyond. In the mirror, clearly emulated was the very beast that had attacked Boomer, Bubbles, Brick and Butch mere moments before. In fact there was clearly reflected Brick dodging the monster's punches. Then it changed to Boomer on the monsters shoulder, stabbing it with his sword. He shouted something, but the mirror offered no sound. The mirror flickered and their was Butch sword out, screaming something and running at the beast. As he hit the monster fell back. The mirror flickered and their was Bubbles, eyes wide with fear as the loose arm came closer. The mirror flickered and zoomed in on her face, the look of fear captured in the mirror's glass.

A single, pale hand waved and the mirror froze. Bubbles stopped mid scream. The hand reached out and rested against the cold glass. It traced Bubbles' face, the hand ran it's fingers along the outline of Bubbles' chin. The owner of the hand admired her features, her turquoise eyes, wide and innocent, her beautiful blond hair, the color of the sun. Most of all the owner of the hand the wonderful rosy color of her skin. How spectacular it looked against his own. A breathtaking contrast to the bleak land before him. The hand withdrew and rested upon the arm of the throne before the mirror. A smile played upon the man's thin lips.

Oh no! Who could the man be! Why is he interested in Bubbles? What's going to happen? Please RR


	4. Chapter 4

I'm fast forwarding a couple weeks in the future. I don't own PPG.

Finally escaping her sisters' scrutiny, Bubbles ran outside, taking in the fresh air of the winter morning. It was exactly a week before Christmas and Bubbles decided she would go buy her family presents that day.

Walking down to the village, she bit her lip, trying to figure out if she should get something for the boys. On account of her being attacked, King Edward agreed to join forces with the Wind Kingdom. She smiled, remembering her father's joyful face as King Edward had a similar expression. Apparently, the War of the Elements had been forgotten…whatever that was.

After much begging from her and her sisters, their father invited the Royal Family of Fire to enjoy Christmas with them. Even though she knew they wouldn't admit it, Bubbles knew her sisters liked the boys as much as she liked Boomer.

She blushed at the thought of his name. When she had woken up, he had avoided her, ashamed of her getting hurt. It had took a while for her to convince him it wasn't his fault, but he did eventually. 'He's like my best friend now…so that's why I can't tell him I like him. I would totally ruin it…' she thought, sighing.

Bubbles reached the village and began to greet the people out. She began to search for her sisters' presents. She knew Blossom would want books, but wanted to get her something different. She also knew Buttercup would hate makeup, but wouldn't mind something like…

Stopping at a strange set-up, she gasped at some super-sparkly, shinny belts. "This would be perfect for Buttercup! She's always complaining about her pants being too big!" She looked around until she saw the perfect one. It had a dark background, with a green stripe going down the middle. Bright and lime green sparkles decorated the belt and the buckle was a black star, the sparkles on that also.

She grinned and grabbed it. "I'll take this."

After paying for it, she began to look around for Blossom. 'What should I get her?' she thought, then stopped, seeing the perfect present.

It was a white faux-down vest, but it had rose zigzags all down the front. Smiling, she bought that also.

"Okay, time for Daddy." She looked around but couldn't find anything. "I guess I can go back home for now."

Walking back to the palace, she began to think then panicked. 'Crap! If I get Boomer something, should it be friendly or romantic? I kind of want him to know, but then I kind of don't!' She bit her lip in thought, then grinned. "I know!" she exclaimed, running all the way back.

The five teens were sitting in front of the fire, talking about stuff, when a red-faced Bubbles ran in.

"Bubbles, what happened!" Boomer exclaimed, fear on his face. But Bubbles shook her head.

"Nothing but a great idea!" She sat down.

Blossom stared at her. "What are you talking about?"

"This!" She pulled out a Santa's hat from behind her back in a grand manner. She held it up for everyone to see.

"It's a Santa's hat." Butch said flatly.

Bubbles frowned. Then she realized that she probably ought to have explained it first. Her grin appeared again and continued as though she was on an infomercial.

"It's not just a Santa's hat!" She reached into the hat and pulled out a little slip of paper that had the name Buttercup written on it. "Inside I have put little slips of paper with each of our names written on it."

"So?" Butch asked raising an eyebrow but Blossom masked his sarcastic remark by exclaiming, "Oh! I see! Is this like Secret Santa?"

Bubbles nodded enthusiastically, "It's exactly like Secret Santa! In fact, it is Secret Santa!"

Blossom clapped, "Oh! That's brilliant, Bubbles!"

Bubbles beamed.

"What's Secret Santa?" Buttercup asked.

"Glad you asked! You see each of us will draw a name from this hat, but don't tell anyone who you got, and that's the person you'll buy a gift for!" Bubbles paused, letting her brilliance soak in, "Don't you see? You only have to buy a gift for one person!"

Boomer nodded, "That is a good idea!"

"Thanks." Bubbles smiled.

Brick piped up, "Why don't we tell anyone?"

Bubbles paused for a moment. She hadn't really expected this question. "Well...I guess it's just to make it interesting..."

"And it'll keep people from buying an overly expensive gift and then bragging about it." Buttercup added looking at Butch.

"Hey! I have never done that!" Butch exclaimed, offended.

Brick smirked, "Sure…"

Butch frowned, "Shut up."

Bubbles nodded, "Exactly! So, everyone, grab a name out of the hat." Bubbles passed the hat around and everyone followed her instructions, "Everyone got one? Good! Okay, remember; don't tell anyone whom you got."

**Later that day**

After that the group went their separate ways, either to their rooms or the village square. Boomer mingled outside awhile. Leaning against a tree, he pulled the slip of paper out of his pocket and looked at the name.

_Bubbles _

So, he had to buy a gift for Bubbles. Boomer wistfully ran a hand through his hair. But what would she want? This should be easy, but for some reason he couldn't think of anything to get her. He ran through her traits in his mind: she was extremely nice, hyperactive, and attractively perky. When that didn't help, he let out a sigh

Strangely enough, Boomer found that he wanted this gift to be absolutely _perfect._ He wanted her to open his gift and glow with pure joy as she saw his gift. He didn't care that she wouldn't know who had given it to her, he just wanted to see that expression, he wanted to see her radiance.

He frowned. 'But why do I want it to be perfect? Sure, she's like my best friend, but…'

Giving up, he supposed he could do some detective work and find out what she liked. But Christmas was only a week away and he didn't have enough time for that.

He sighed and slipped the paper back into his pocket and pushed off of the tree. He stretched a little and took a big whiff of the air. Boomer began to walk away from the palace, lost in thought. He was just walking, no where in particular, just walking. Walking and thinking about what he could possibly buy for Bubbles. His mind was still a blank.

Boomer stopped in the forest. He closed his eyes and sat by the frozen river. Some flowers were growing there. They weren't particularly astounding flowers, just you're everyday dandelion. They were growing in a little cluster on the side. Boomer liked flowers, even though he would never admit it. He had, as some would say, a green thumb. In fact, had it not been winter, the secret garden at his palace would have been filled with blooming flowers.

Though, he didn't really think dandelions were a flower. He didn't like them; they were too much like a weed. He was, however, very passionate about roses. That wasn't the only flower he favored. He liked many others such as peonies, cherry blossoms, hibiscuses, irises, lilies...

Lilies.

Boomer had to leave his thought unfinished as the wind blew, causing him to continue walking.

Lily, doesn't Bubbles love lilies? She did! It was a perfect! He wasn't going to give Bubbles a flower but it was something to build off of. But what could he give Bubbles that was lily themed? There had to be something he was sure.

What did people give that involved flowers? He'd seen a lot of fabric with flower patterns. Would he give Bubbles a dress?

She had enough of those.

He'd often seen flowers on furniture.

He refused to give Bubbles furniture for Christmas.

There was flower jewelry.

Jewelry?

Jewelry!

It was absolutely perfect! He'd give Bubbles a necklace or a ring perhaps! It was brilliant! Bubbles would love it. He took of running, searching for the nearest jewelry display.

**A Week Later**

_Knock knock_

Boomer woke up to the sound of someone knocking on his door. He yawned and looked briefly at the clock at his bedside. The hands were on the 6 and the 12; 6 a.m. Boomer sighed and closed his eyes once again. It was too early for company. He looked around to see his brothers dead asleep.

_Knock, knock_

Boomer groaned and rolled over determined to ignore it.

_Knock, knock_

Boomer defiantly smashed a pillow to his ears and closed his eyes tightly.

_Knock, knock Knock, knock Knock, knock_

Boomer at last gave in and sat up wearily. With a very reluctant groan, Boomer rolled out of bed and trudged to the door. The knocking was still hitting incessantly. Putting on his most perturbed face, Boomer unlocked the door and swung it open. He was greeted with the smiling faces of Bubbles and Blossom.

"Hi, Boomer-Oh!" Bubbles' cheeks suddenly became a fierce shade of red and her eyes grew to the size of saucers. She clapped a hand over her mouth. Boomer's eyebrow's furrowed bemusedly at looked over at Blossom who was in a similar state. Both of them were looking down. Boomer followed their gaze and saw immediately what was the cause of all this. Blushing an even brighter shade of red. He squeaked a quick "Excuse me." And walked as swiftly back to his room. Leaving a very shocked Bubbles and Blossom outside in the hallway.

After a long silence Blossom coughed. Bubbles answered with another cough. "Well..."

"That was..." Blossom coughed.

Bubbles nodded, "Roses."

Blossom blinked, "What?"

"His boxers had roses on them." Bubbles said with unease.

Blossom nodded, and then looked at her, "Really? All I saw were red dots..."

Bubbles shrugged, "I was closer than you were."

"Oh."

A clicking signaled that Boomer had finished dressing and he opened the door to greet them. He smiled apologetically, "Sorry about that. I wasn't prepared for company this early in the morning." He held the door open more, "Come in."

Bubbles and Blossom both grinned and stepped in, Blossom shutting the door behind her.

"So, what's up?" Boomer said pleasantly.

"Simple, Boomer!" Bubbles said exuberantly, unloading a large bag on to the floor.

"As you know today is Christmas Eve," Blossom said, unloading a similar bag.

"And you are so good at decorating;" Bubbles continued slinging an arm around Boomer's shoulders.

"So..." Blossom reached into the bag she'd been carrying.

"We decided to have you help us decorate!" They said simultaneously, Blossom pulling out a banner that had the words "Merry Christmas" on it in red and green.

If Boomer had had anything to choke on, he would have, "WHAT?" Boomer staggered.

"Please, Boomer!" Blossom and Bubbles pleaded.

"But-"

"Please, Boomer!" Both of them had gotten onto their knees and were looking up at him imploringly.

Boomer gave a resigned sigh, "Oh, all right..."

They sprang to their feet and threw their arms around him, "Thank you so much! You're the best!" They squealed excitedly and released him. Boomer nodded still a little reluctant about the entire thing, "Don't think anything of it. We should probably do this outside or face the wrath of Butch." Boomer grinned, walking out, the girls following.

As soon as they reached the living room area where they were allowed to have the party, Blossom gasped.

Both Bubbles and Boomer turned around. "What?" Bubbles asked, scared.

"We have no tree! Where are we going to put the angel?" she exclaimed, shaking an angel tree-topper

Blossom started to hyperventilate. Bubbles grabbed a paper bag and made Blossom breathe into it. After she'd calmed down a bit, Blossom ripped the bag from her face and yelled at no one in particular, "Why do we not have a Christmas tree? You always buy a tree at Christmas!"

Boomer stepped back, "I don't see what's so bad. There doesn't seemto be a point-"

"No point?" Blossom screeched.

Bubbles grabbed Blossom, "Calm down! We'll go get one!" Bubbles said trying to abate her sister's anger.

Blossom nodded, "Okay, but go with him! Who knows what he'll pick out..."

Bubbles patted her sister on the back, "Okay; we'll be back soon."

Boomer was too bewildered to do anything, forcing Bubbles to drag him out of the door.

When it shut, Blossom's frown dissipated into a triumphant smile, "Ha! They fell for it! Blossom, old girl, you are quite the actress. And I thought getting them alone would be hard."

**With Boomer and Bubbles**

Boomer and Bubbles began to walk down to the forest, Boomer carrying an axe.

"So, where should we start?" Boomer asked. There was two reasons he asked this: The first was that he truthfully had no idea where to start was and the second was he wanted to break the silence.

"Lets try here." Bubbles pointed.

They walked in silence until Bubbles broke it.

"Sorry, about Blossom exploding like that. She's become somewhat of a perfectionist."

"Really? I hadn't noticed..." Boomer said sarcastically.

Bubbles laughed, "You should have seen her yesterday! She was screaming at me because I put too much red food coloring in the Christmas cookies!"

It was Boomer's turn to laugh.

"I said four! I didn't say twelve! I just said four!" Bubbles imitated Blossom.

Boomer laughed even harder.

"She won't let me near the food coloring anymore!"

Boomer was near hysterics, "Is this it?" He managed to stop laughing enough to say.

Bubbles nodded, "Yup, this is the place."

Boomer entered the forest and started looking around.

"How about you go down here and I'll go down there and if either one of us finds something we'll holler, okay?" Bubbles suggested.

Boomer nodded and went down his assigned bunch of Douglas Firs.

Bubbles smiled and went of in search of the perfect tree. She probably should have been paying more attention to where she was walking than to the trees for she accidentally walked right into someone.

"Umpf!" Bubbles said as she smashed into a man looking at the trees. He made a similar noise. Bubbles was knocked to the ground as well as the man.

Bubbles shook her head, "Are you all right?" She asked looking at the man she'd bumped into.

The man rubbed his neck and nodded, "I think so...You?"

Bubbles nodded.

He got up and offered her a hand. She took it and he pulled her up.

"Sorry about that!" Bubbles apologized.

"Hey, no problem!" The man waved a hand vaguely; "I wasn't paying attention either."

Bubbles grinned. She looked at the man. He was surprisingly pale. He looked as though he'd never see the sun. Even his hair was white! Bubbles tried to hide that she found his looks odd by saying a quick goodbye and turning to leave.

"Wait!" She heard him say.

She turned around.

"There's a very nice tree over there." He pointed.

Bubbles grinned, "Thanks." And went to look at the tree he was pointing to.

It was truly beautiful. She would never have found a better tree in her life. It was perfect in shape, not a single brown needle in sight, and the perfect size!

Bubbles grinned excitedly and clapped her hands together with glee, "Boomer! Over here!"

The tree was cut down and together they dragged it back. When they arrived back at the house, they discovered that Blossom been quite busy. The entire house was festooned with Christmas decorations. Banners hung everywhere. Little Santa and reindeer figurines were placed in just about every open space. The coffee table was covered in snack trays. The counter had plastic plates and utensils piled and ready for anyone to use. The Christmas turkey was already in the oven. Butch, Buttercup and Brick were all sitting on the couch, looking so scared of Blossom that Bubbles and Boomer couldn't help but laugh.

Blossom immediately ordered them to put the tree in one corner of the living room. Bubbles and Boomer lugged the tree to its respective place and collapsed on the couch, only to be ordered up again and forced to decorate the tree. Both, however, were relieved of the job after they broke a few bulbs.

After that all five teens helped Blossom however they could. Blossom gave them several tasks with explicit instructions that she insisted were followed to the letter. After all was done all six of them sat on the couch and admired their work. Boomer was amazed at just how unrecognizable the living room was. Everything was Christmas themed, including the bathroom. All the red and green was making him dizzy.

At last everyone showed up, all bearing little packages for the Secret Santa. The packages were set in a little pile under the tree. When everyone had arrived they all sat in a little circle around the tree. And everyone waited patiently to receive his or her gifts. Boomer seated himself on the couch with Bubbles on his right and a disgruntled Butch on his left. Blossom sat on the floor and pulled the first gift from the pile and read the name.

"This one is to Brick."

Brick accepted the gift away from Blossom. He opened it and lifted the lid off.

"What is it?" Inquired Bubbles.

Brick grinned and pulled a book out, _"Famous War Tactics and Battles."_ He said. "This is great!"

Blossom smiled. She cleared her throat and pulled out a rather large gift from under the tree.

"Butch."

"All right!" Butch kneeled down in front of the box, "What's in it?" Butch asked shaking the gift.

"You have to open it first!" Blossom chided.

Butch scoffed and opened the box and revealed a punching bag.

"Oh, cool!" Butch lifted the bag from its box and looked at it admiringly.

Blossom smiled approvingly and pulled out the next box, "Oh! This one is for me!"

She tore off the paper and glanced and her gift.

"How beautiful!" Blossom gasped and pulled out the white faux-down vest.

Bubbles leaned over and whispered in Boomer's ear, "I figured that would make her happy." Boomer chuckled.

Blossom pulled out more presents and gave them to whose name was written on it. Boomer received a sheath for his sword and Buttercup was given the belt. And then came the moment that Boomer had been both dreading and awaiting.

Boomer pulled out the last package (Which was rather small.) and didn't bother reading the name but simply handed it over to Bubbles. Boomer held his breath as she slid the box out of its wrapping paper. It became obvious to everyone as they saw the box that the gift was jewelry. They craned their necks to see what the box held. Bubbles lifted the lid and gasped. Inside the box was a necklace. It was the most beautiful necklace she'd ever seen.

She gripped the delicate gold chain with her thumb and index finger and held it up for everyone to see. From the chain hung a charm in the shape of lily. Bubbles let the lily rest in the palm of her hand and leaned forward for a closer look. The exquisiteness of the lily was breath taking, with petals of gold and silver. Bubbles was in awe.

"It's..." Bubbles could not find a word to describe the absolute magnificence of the necklace, "...beautiful."

It was all she could think of. Though the word hardly did it justice. She found the clasp and undid it and fastened it around her neck. She fingered the lily charm lovingly.

"Wow." Blossom said at last and stood up to get a better look at it, "That's fantastic, Bubbles!"

Bubbles nodded speechlessly.

"Well, it's time for dinner!" Blossom exclaimed and waved everyone to the dining room.

Boomer could hardly keep from smiling. She'd liked it! He knew she did. All through dinner her hand often went to her necklace, her fingers tracing the petals of the charm. Resisting the urge to tell her it was he who had given her the necklace was unbearable. Every time her hand went to it, he wanted to tell her. Every time this urge came he stuffed even more food into his mouth.

Dinner was over and everyone mingled. Buttercup plopped down on the couch and stared into the fire. Butch was staring with her, arm around her shoulders. Brick was helping Blossom clean up, stopping at moments to giggle and laugh. Boomer spotted Bubbles standing off to the side admiring her necklace.

"Enjoying yourself, Bubbles?" Boomer said so suddenly that Bubbles jumped.

"Yup!" Bubbles said with a smile, "I love Christmas. It's always been my favorite holiday."

"Mine as well." Boomer grinned; "Your present is beautiful."

Bubbles nodded vigorously, "Yes, I just wish I knew who had given it to me so I could thank them!"

Boomer wished very much that he had something to stuff in his mouth right now. Luckily, Bubbles continued.

"But that would ruin the entire point of Secret Santa, now wouldn't it?"

"Indeed it would." Boomer agreed.

Blossom had finished cleaning and wondered over to them, "Hey, you two."

"Hello, Blossom!" Bubbles responded. Boomer merely nodded pleasantly.

Blossom smiled mischievously, "Look up!"

Boomer and Bubbles did so. Hanging from the roof was a small plant with white berries.

"Mistletoe," Boomer remarked.

"Uh-uh! You two have to kiss now!" Blossom smirked.

A sudden knot tied itself in Bubbles' stomach. She looked at Boomer. He was smiling cheerfully. Before she knew it, he was leaning towards her. She inhaled but forgot to exhale. Why was she so nervous? Her cheeks were burning and the knot in her stomach was becoming tighter.

Her eyes slammed shut.

Something brushed her cheek.

"Hey! You were supposed to kiss her on the lips!" Bubbles heard Blossom protest.

"You didn't specify." Boomer smirked.

Bubbles opened her eyes. He'd already kissed her?

Blossom scoffed indignantly and stalked off. Boomer watched her leave, flashed a smile at Bubbles, and went to speak with Brick. And there stood a very confused Bubbles.

Her hand cupped the cheek Boomer had just kissed. It was still warm. The knowledge of how to exhale came to her. But the knot still remained. A new and unfamiliar feeling was invading her mind. Her eyes kept wandering to Boomer. And every time she looked at him, she blushed. Why?

At last she couldn't stand it anymore. She walked out of the party without a word to anyone, walked into her room and shut the door.

As she got ready for bed, images of the party kept flashing in her mind. But the most dominant memory was with Boomer. She seeing him lean forward. She kept feeling the warmth of his lips on her cheek.

She definitely pushed this memory aside. She did everything to muffle it. She even turned on the began to sing to drown it out. She began to sing a song she faintly remember from her childhood.

"_I'm sleeping _

_Right in the middle of a good dream_

_And all at once I wake up_

_From something that keeps knocking at my brain _

_Before I go insane _

_I hold my pillow to my head_

_And spring up in my bed_

_Screaming out the words I dread_

_I think I love you!"_

Bubbles immediately stopped. She fell unto the bed and buried her face in the pillows. She was furious with the song. It just had said what she had been refusing to admit to herself ever since the first meeting.

She loved Boomer.

Whoa! What's going to happen now? Will she tell Boomer? Does he love her as well? Please RR


End file.
